Steamboat Springs School Board to take 2nd look at facilities improvement plan

Steamboat Springs  Although the Steamboat Springs School Board unanimously voted to begin implementation of a $2.8 million facilities improvement project at local schools, the four members again will discuss at Monday’s meeting whether or not to reconsider a more expensive — and expansive — plan.

Past Event

The pricier plan — known as Option C of the three proposed plans by Navitas’ Koby Kampschroeder and district Maintenance Operations and Transportation Director Pascal Ginesta — would cost the district roughly $4.5 million but would include a totally reconstructed HVAC unit in the middle school. The middle school’s current unit is due for an update, and the plan the board voted for two weeks ago — Option B — didn’t include a new HVAC.

Also at the previous School Board meeting, the members discussed the looming idea should enrollment continue to grow at its current pace of building a new elementary school. A new elementary school would require a roughly $30 million bond referendum.

“Before we (accept Option B) as final issue, I’m laying out some rationale for the board if there’s interest in reconsidering Option B for Option C,” district Superintendent Brad Meeks said.

Meeks said part of his recommendation will be to bring in a demographer to examine Steamboat’s school enrollment growth numbers, which hinge a lot on a spurt in local birth rates.

Meeks added that the board ultimately would decide the final outcome on the project option Dec. 9.

The board also will address the vacant District 3 seat left by the term-limited Denise Connelly, who served as a member for eight years before her final meeting two weeks ago. Meeks said the board officially would declare the seat open at Monday's meeting and then outline a process on how to fill it.

Along with the empty District 3 seat are unfilled officer positions. The board will elect and vote on president, vice president, secretary and treasurer first thing Monday night.